Jehovah's Witnesses: Is it proper to pray to the Lord Jesus?

[Faber]

Is it proper to pray to the Lord Jesus?
No.
The Watchtower: Does the Bible instruct us to pray to Jesus, to Mary, to saints, or to angels? No"only to Jehovah. (To Whom?, October 1, 2010).
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2010722


Is it proper to pray to the Lord Jesus?
Yes
1. Acts 7:59
The Watchtower: The prayer offered by Stephen when he was being martyred is recorded at Acts 7:59, 60 (February 1, 1959, page 96).
2. Revelation 22:20
The Watchtower: After receiving the revelation about this coming and about what it will mean for the earth, John earnestly prayed: Come, Lord Jesus (Christs Coming"Should We Fear It?, March 15, 2007).
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2007200

For the Jehovah's Witnesses:
Is it proper to pray to the Lord Jesus or is it not proper to pray to the Lord Jesus?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by Faber]

QUESTION Did Stephen pray to Jesus? No, prayer is respectful worshipful address to Almighty God.

What Stephen did, upon seeing a vision of God and Jesus,, was make a direct appealed to Jesus. Speaking to someone, even a spirit (as Mary did to the Angel (spirit) Gabriel) is not necessarily a prayer.

Furthermore while some translations read that Stephen "prayed" to Jesus. The Greek word is actually EPIKALOUMENON. It literally means "*appeal, invoke, aid, request, call, or call on.*" (Strong's Greek Dictionary pg. 31; Thayer's Greek Lexicon pg. 239) It is used else where in the Bible by Paul for instance at Acts 25:11 where he "appealed," or "called on" Caesar (cf. Acts 25:21, 25; 26:32; 28:19). Certainly, Caesar was not God, nor did Paul "pray" to Caesar! Paul did not consider Caesar God; but he did make an appeal to him as one in a position of authority. Thus, we see that "calling upon" Jesus hardly means that Stephen is offering a "prayer," or "worshipful address" to Jesus.

This is further clarified by that fact that Matthew 6:9 tells us to "pray" to the Father.... The Greek word here translated "pray" is "PROSEUKHMAI." This word means to "*pray, offer worshipful [address], supplicate*." (Thayer's Greek Lexicon pg. 545; Strong's Greek Dictionary pg. 61) It is NOT the same word as used in Acts 7:59. Appeals to God (YHWH) can also be considered prayers.


Further reading: Does Stephens exclamation at Acts 7:59 indicate that prayers should be directed to Jesus?
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2005007




QUESTION: What about the Watchtower of 1959, does it not say that Stephen "prayed to Jesus"?

No it does not. The Watchtower quotes a reader who asked his or her question as follows: {quote reader} "Does Stephens prayer to Jesus, as found in Acts 7:59, show that he understood Jesus to be Jehovah?"W. R., U.S.A" {end quote}

The reader is only identified as "W.R" from the United States.

Since the focus of the question is obviously trinitarian in nature the Watchtower response deals with the issue of whether Stephens words indicate Jesus is in fact one and the same as Jehovah. A careful examination of the issue however, will reveal at no time do the Watchtower writers themself refer to Stephen as "praying to Jesus". Instead the Watchtower refers to an "appeal" to Jesus, a "request to Jesus" or a "petition" to Jesus.

When refering to Jehovah God, the Watchtower makes a clear distinction, stating that "he [Stephen] cried out with a strong voice: Jehovah, do not charge this sin against them." This cry this final cry (similar to Jesus' own final cry before his own death) is considered a prayer (worshipful address to Almighty God). The Watchtower makes a clear distinction between the two: An "appeal"* to Jesus, a "prayer" to Jehovah.


* NOTE: For a more detailed explanation of the Greek verb "to appeal/petition" see above)

[JehovahsWitness]

After receiving the revelation about this coming and about what it will mean for the earth, John earnestly prayed: Come, Lord Jesus (Christs Coming"Should We Fear It?, March 15, 2007).
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2007200

QUESTION: Does the Watchtower of March 15, 2007 indicate John prayed to Jesus?

The closing words of the Christian bible are attributed to the Apostle John following his visions at Patmos. John received a series of visions from God, transmited to him via the Resurrected Jesus. In Revelation 22v20 John reports to have heard Jesus (The Witness) say "I am coming quickly." John responds in prayer "Amen! Come, Lord Jesus." Clearly John is praying that Jesus' final revelation comes. But WHO is John praying to?

The Watchtower dos NOT say John's final prayer was addressed to Jesus., it simply states:

"Rather than fearing it, the apostle John looked forward to Christs coming. After receiving the revelation about this coming and about what it will mean for the earth, John earnestly prayed: Come, Lord Jesus. - Watchtower March 15, 2007
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2007200#h=4

Praying about someone or something is not the same as praying to that one.

To illustrate: Christians are instructed to pray "Let your kingdom come!". Are we to conclude that they must pray to the kingom since they will effectively be saying "Come, God's kingom!"? Logically requesting in prayer that someone or something happen does not mean the prayer is directed to topic but rather the prayer is ABOUT the topic or subject.

CONCLUSION: The Watchtower points out that John prayed, expressing his ernest desire that Jesus "come ". Implicit in the fact that it is a prayer is the understanding of what a prayer is, notably "respectful address to ALMIGHTY GOD". In any case the Watchtower does not say that the prayer was addressed to Jesus. So any claim that the quote supports this view can be viewed as a strawman argument at best and at worst, an outright attempt to manipulate reader perception.



JW

[Faber]

a. QUESTION Did Stephen pray to Jesus? No

b. The Watchtower: The prayer offered by Stephen when he was being martyred is recorded at Acts 7:59, 60 (February 1, 1959, page 96).

Both "a" and "b" are affirming the exact opposite.

Furthermore, Stephen's vision took place when he was in the city. His prayer happened after he was already driven out of the city (Acts 7:58). Thus you have no proof Stephen was experiencing a vision during Acts 7:59-60. It's simply conjecture on your part.

Furthermore, lest we forget it was the Watchtower that referred to what Stephen did as a "prayer."

[Faber]

After receiving the revelation about this coming and about what it will mean for the earth, John earnestly prayed: Come, Lord Jesus (Christs Coming"Should We Fear It?, March 15, 2007).
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2007200

QUESTION: Does the Watchtower of March 15, 2007 indicate John prayed to Jesus?

The closing words of the Christian bible are attributed to the Apostle John following his visions at Patmos. John received a series of visions from God, transmited to him via the Resurrected Jesus. In Revelation 22v20 John reports to have heard Jesus (The Witness) say "I am coming quickly." John responds in prayer "Amen! Come, Lord Jesus." Clearly John is praying that Jesus' final revelation comes. But WHO is John praying to?

The Watchtower dos NOT say John's final prayer was addressed to Jesus., it simply states:

"Rather than fearing it, the apostle John looked forward to Christs coming. After receiving the revelation about this coming and about what it will mean for the earth, John earnestly prayed: Come, Lord Jesus. - Watchtower March 15, 2007
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2007200#h=4

Praying about someone or something is not the same as praying to that one.

To illustrate: Christians are instructed to pray "Let your kingdom come!". Are we to conclude that they must pray to the kingom since they will effectively be saying "Come, God's kingom!"? Logically requesting in prayer that someone or something happen does not mean the prayer is directed to topic but rather the prayer is ABOUT the topic or subject.

CONCLUSION: The Watchtower points out that John prayed, expressing his ernest desire that Jesus "come ". Implicit in the fact that it is a prayer is the understanding of what a prayer is, notably "respectful address to ALMIGHTY GOD". In any case the Watchtower does not say that the prayer was addressed to Jesus. So any claim that the quote supports this view can be viewed as a strawman argument at best and at worst, an outright attempt to manipulate reader perception.



JW

1. "Hey John, come home."

2. John comes home.

3. I insist that I wasn't referring to John but to Eric instead.